You Said She Was Sweet
by Randy Davis.Callie Cohen
Summary: Curse you for using my words against me," I said bitterly. The newest boho girl seems to be Mark's female counterpart, but he's worried to love again. With a little push from the rest of the bohos, another romance might bloom.
1. Chapter 1

(yes, I'm back with another Mark/OC romance. Jane Devree is my OC this time. Anything in regular font is Jane's POV. Bold is Mark's. So, yeah enjoy and review. Disclaimer: I don't own RENT or any character's you recognize. They are the property of the late great Jonathon Larson.)

I stepped off the train in New York City, wide-eyed. I was a nineteen year old filmmaker who had just been kicked out of Brown College after about four months. _All for the better_ I thought smugly, reaching into my shoulder bag and taking out my camera. I hated Brown with a burning passion, but my parents basically threatened my life if I dropped out.

I was too busy filming the train station (walking backwards) that I forgot to watch where I was going. I realized I should have been paying attention- a little too late- when I ran into someone and was knocked to the ground. "Oh my god, I am so sorry," I apologized, looking up to see a pair of shockingly blue eyes.

"Not a problem," the man said, smiling and holding out a hand. I took it gratefully and let him pull me up.

"Thanks."

"New to New York?" he asked smugly. I nodded, somewhat embarrassed. "Yeah, I could tell. Do you want help finding where you're supposed to be?"

"Umm… actually, yeah," I took out the scrap of paper with the address of my childhood friend, who had invited me to stay, and handed it to him, "Do you know where that is?" He started laughing. "What's so funny?" I snapped.

"Oh, nothing," he said through his laughter, "It's just… you're Jane, aren't you?"

I was taken aback a little by him knowing my name, and he seemed to sense it. "Your friend, Mimi, lives in the apartment below me and my roommates, Roger and Collins. She hasn't stopped talking about you since she got your letter saying you were coming." I nodded.

"That sounds like Mimi. So, could you show me where I'm going, or at least tell me?"

"Of course. Follow me." We left the station. Out on the cold Manhattan street, I pulled my light jacket a little bit closer to me, resulting in a bit of laughter from the man walking beside me. "Better get used to being cold," he smiled, "Our landlord shuts off our heat on a monthly basis. Something about no rent money equals no heat… or electricity, for that matter."

"Great," I muttered sarcastically, "You know, you have an advantage on me. You know my name, but you have yet to tell me yours."

"Sorry," he said, "I'm Mark. Mark Cohen."

"Nice to meet you."

"You too. So what brings a girl like you to this hellhole people call Alphabet City?"

"Getting kicked out of Brown," I rolled my eyes, "And refusing to go home."

"Oh ho ho," he smiled, "Another one of us kicked out of Brown. I was too, and our landlord, Benny, who at one point was our roommate and good friend."

"No kidding?" I laughed, "Sounds like you've got your own ideals then. They wouldn't kick out a conformist. The administration's too close-minded."

He laughed. "You sound like one of us already, and you're right. I couldn't stand that place. Everyone was exactly the same."

"That's what I thought. It's the reason I was kicked out of MIT too."

"Really? MIT too? Never was good enough to get in there, but Collins was. He was expelled for his theory of actual reality."

"Actual reality?" I looked at him curiously, "I was expelled for planning a protest that inadvertently turned into a riot supporting the theory."

"Wow, with all of the history you've had entangled with our group, I surprised we haven't met before."

We reached a ratty industrial loft, which I assumed was where I was living. It wasn't what most people would consider nice, but I already liked it. It had a sort of artist's appeal to it. Mark picked up a stone from the pavement and threw it at the window. For a moment, I was a little bit confused, but a set of keys suddenly dropped seemingly out of nowhere. I tilted my head to one side in a sort of unspoken question, which Mark answered as if it had been asked.

"We only have one set of keys," he explained, "And Collins and I were both going out this evening. Roger is staying with Mimi, who has probably been sitting by the window all evening, so I was just getting their attention.

"Alright then. I suppose that makes sense."

"Shall we?" he asked, holding the door open. I laughed and passed him through the door.

**I don't know what prompted me to go to the train station to film that night. It might have been the allure of this new mystery girl Mimi swore was my female counterpart or the feeling that something significant would take place that night. Whatever it was, I found myself filming anyone and everyone in the station. I had lowered my head to check the battery on my ancient camera when I bumped into someone, who was knocked to the ground.**

"**Oh my god, I am so sorry," the girl said, glancing up at me. Those eyes caught me off guard; a deep brown that had mystery and yet told you everything if you studied them long enough. **

"**Not a problem," I smiled, holding out a hand to help her up. She took it, and I pulled her to her feet. She thanked me quickly. She was obviously new to New York. She was too nice and too quick to trust people. "New to New York?" I asked anyway, to make sure. She nodded, and I took into account that way her cheeks flooded with color; a pink that was few shades lighter than her red hair. "Yeah, I could tell. Do you need help finding where you're supposed to be?"**

"**Ummm… actually, yeah," she took out a scrap of paper and handed it to me, "Do you know where that is?" I studied the address for a minute and had to laugh. That was the address of our loft. This was Mimi's friend. "What's so funny?" she snapped.**

"**Oh, nothing," I assured her, "It's just… you're Jane aren't you?" I was already sure I knew the answer, but I had to ask. She seemed taken aback, which I took as a yes. "Your friend, Mimi, lives in the apartment below me and my roommates, Roger and Collins. She hasn't stopped talking about you since she got your letter saying you were coming." She laughed.**

"**That sounds like Mimi. Could you show me where I'm going, or at least tell me?"**

"**Of course. Follow me." We left the station. Out on the street, I couldn't help but laugh when Jane pulled her jacket a little closer to her. "Better get used to being cold," I warned her smugly, "Our landlord shuts off our heat on a monthly basis. Something about no rent money equaling no heat… or electricity, for that matter."**

"**Great," I barely heard her mutter sarcastically. She added a little volume to her voice. "You know, you have an advantage on me. You know my name, but you have yet to tell me yours."**

"**Oh, sorry," I hadn't even realized that I hadn't told her my name, "I'm Mark. Mark Cohen."**

"**Nice to meet you."**

"**You too." I thought for a moment before asking, "So what brings a girl like you to this hellhole people call Alphabet City?"**

"**Getting kicked out of Brown," she rolled her eyes, "And refusing to go back home." So Mimi had been right about this girl being like me. I had seen her not paying attention with her camera at the station, and now I'm finding out she was just kicked out of Brown too. I was curious to see what else she had in her past that was similar to his own.**


	2. Chapter 2

Mark led me to the second floor from the top of the building and put the key in the lock. He stepped in front of me, obviously wanting to surprise Mimi. He opened the door, and I could hear the smile that must have been on his face when he said, "Hey guys, guess who I bumped into." He stepped aside, revealing me beaming. Mimi screamed, and I had to laugh. She hadn't changed from the giddy teenage girl she was three years ago, when we were pretty much inseparable.

"Janie!!!!" she shrieked, rushing forward and crushing me in a tight embrace that surprised me a little. For a tiny woman, she was strong. "Oh my god, I've been sitting around here all night waiting for you. I was so worried you'd miss your train, and then that you would get lost on your way here, and-"

"Mimi," the man who was sitting with Mimi when we came in (I assumed this was Roger) cut her off, "Let the girl breathe." Mimi stepped back and laughed.

"Sorry Jane."

"It's fine girl. It's so great to be here among artists rather than… conformists." I shuddered. The man whose name I still wasn't sure of stepped forward.

"Sorry about her," he laughed, "She's been so excited that you were coming. I'm Roger Davis, the boyfriend, pretty boy front man, and pretty much the guy every girl in our group- save Joanne- has had a crush on."

"He's also overly cocky," Mimi rolled her eyes at Roger, "Even if you weren't with me, you wouldn't be able to impress Jane. She's hard to impress."

I nodded. It did take something special to impress me, but I didn't think that would be hard for someone from this area to do.

"Well, at any rate, it's nice to meet you," Roger chose to ignore Mimi, "How did you end up finding Mark in that crowded train station. I mean, you didn't even know he was there."

"Well, he pretty much hit the nail on the head when he said he bumped into me," I laughed, "Paying attention was never my strong point."

"Wow, so you seriously just ran into one another?" Mimi asked. Mark and I nodded. "How ironic."

"I know, right?" I nodded, "It's such a coincidence."

"You always lived coincidence," she laughed, turning to the boys and addressing them, "Even when we were in high school. The boy she saw when we went prom dress shopping-"

"- Ended up being my date," I cut her off, "And you never let me forget it."

"What are friends for?"

I laughed.

"So tell us about yourself Jane," Roger prompted, flopping back on the sofa. Mimi followed him, settling comfortably into his side, and Mark sat on the arm. I sat cross-legged on the floor, leaning back on my palms.

"Well, I was born in Louisiana. My dad was in the military, so we moved a lot when I was younger. I actually spent a few years in Paris. That kind of fueled my love of the arts. Everything was so beautiful there. When I was thirteen, I moved to Maine. That's where I spent all of middle school and high school."

"Also where we became best friends," Mimi added.

"Yeah, that too. Anyway, when I graduated, I was accepted to MIT, but I was kicked out for planning a protest- that may have turned into a riot through no fault of my own- supporting a friend's theory that got him expelled a few months earlier."

"It was actual reality. She knew Collins," Mark pointed out.

"Right. Collins and I were pretty close for awhile, but we lost touch. So, I ended up at Brown, studying film. But I was kicked out of there too. The administration's a group of close-minded morons who can't accept anyone else's opinion."

"Where have I heard that before?" Roger laughed, staring at Mark, who just shrugged.

"What can I say?" he asked, shaking his head, "The girl's brilliant."

"She is," Mimi nodded. I just shrugged.

"It comes from strict parents."

"And yours were the worst."

"Tell me about it."

"Okay, so what are your interests?"Roger continued.

"I love working behind a camera, but I've done a bit of singing. Not fabulous, mind you, but I've been told I'm decent."

"Man Meems," Roger squeezed Mimi's shoulders, "When you said she was just like Mark, I thought you were kidding."

"Well, I wasn't," she pouted, "She is exactly like him." I blushed. I didn't know much about this Mark guy, but from everything he had told me, I'd say Mimi was definitely right.

"Yeah, the only difference: Mark never left Scarsdale before graduation."

"Oh wow," Mark said, having looked over at the clock and now standing up, "I'm sorry to leave so soon. I have work in the morning. It was nice meeting you Jane."

"Oh, yeah. Nice meeting you too." Mark nodded at me and left the loft, leaving Roger, Mimi, and I alone in silence for a few long minutes. After a while, Roger stood up.

"I should probably go up too. It's been a long day." He leaned down and kissed Mimi gently before leaving. Mimi stood up and put her hands on her hips.

"Those boys are the greatest," she stated, "But they choose the oddest times to say they have to leave.

**I had been upstairs for a few minutes before Roger opened the door smiling at me mischievously. "What?" I asked, shrugging.**

"**She seems like a nice girl," he stated, still smiling, which was starting to creep me out.**

"**Yeah, she's really sweet. What's your point?" I questioned.**

"**You two would be perfect for one another."**

"**Nah, we're too much alike. It would end badly."**

"**Mark, Maureen ended badly. I don't think you could get any worse than what happened with a girl who's the complete opposite of you."**

"**You'd be surprised, and thank you- once again- for bringing that up. As if I don't get reminded enough that I was dumped for a woman." In truth, I'd gotten over being dumped for Joanne. We had become good friends since the time when I was bitter about the entire situation.**

"**I thought you were over her."**

"**I am, but it still hurts a guy's pride, you know? It's not something that I like to be constantly reminded of."**

"**You still hang out with the two of them."**

"**We're not having this discussion."**

"**Oh whatever Mark, but you know as well as I do that this girl would do wonders for your attitude."**

"**I don't have an attitude," I snapped. Roger just smiled.**

"**My point has been proved," he laughed, heading for his bedroom.**

"**Take your AZT," I called after him. That hadn't changed after the two years since he had contracted the disease. I heard some kind of muffled response, but it was indistinguishable. I shook my head, though I knew no one was around to see. Roger was the first to jump in and tell me that a girl was my perfect match. He said it about every girl I dated in high school and the two whose names I don't remember from college, and of course Maureen. I would think it was about time I stopped listening to him.**


	3. Chapter 3

I was up early the next morning and, having noticed that there was no food in the loft, decided to go out to the store. I had left a note on the kitchen counter and slipped silently out the door, leaving a sleeping Mimi behind me. I had barely gotten out the door when I looked up to see Mark, apparently just leaving for work. I glanced down at my watch. It was seven thirty. Mark looked just as caught off guard as I did, having obviously been preoccupied with his own thoughts.

"Oh, good morning," I said softly.

"Good morning," he replied, nodding, "How was your first night in the city."

"Ehh," I shrugged, "I've had better, but it was alright."

"Yeah, I know how you feel. So, I've got to get to work. I'll talk to you later?"

"I'd assume so," I laughed, "I get the feeling you spend a lot of time down here, or Mimi up there."

"Yeah." He went to walk away, but turned back to me before going further down the stairs. "Jane?" he asked, tilting his head to one side.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want a job?"

"That depends," I replied, raising one eyebrow, "What does this job entail?"

"Well, my assistant apparently went into labor last night, so I need someone to fill that position for awhile."

"Alright, I'll take the job… but you never told me where you work."

"I'm a director… for Buzzline."

I didn't mean to, but I couldn't help starting to laugh. "You work for that sleazy mainstream show?" I giggled.

"Don't judge me," he snapped playfully, "I hate that place, but Roger's not working, and we need money for AZT and what little food we can afford after that. I actually quit once, but I went back to help Roger support Mimi while she was going through withdrawl."

"I understand that," I nodded, "I just think it's funny that with all the people who would kill for that job, and one of the few people who can't stand the show works as a director."

"I know," he laughed, "Ironic, right? So, do you still want the job."

"Yeah," I nodded, "I really need the job. Just give me a second to leave a note for Mimi." I hurried back into the apartment and to the note on the counter. I grabbed the pen I had used earlier out of my shoulder bag and turned the paper over. When I was done, the paper read:

_Mimi-_

_Working as Mark's assistant at Buzzline for the day. Be back later_

_Jane_

I folded the paper and propped it up so it was noticeable for when Mimi got up and rushed back out the door, meeting up with Mark. The two of us left the building and started walking down the street. Next door, there was a construction site with a half-finished building that I hadn't noticed the night before. "What's that?" I asked curiously, "Or don't you know?"

"It's going to be a cyberstudio," he responded, shaking his head, "Whatever that is." I laughed.

"Same guy who shuts off our power all the time?" I questioned.

"Yeah, that's him… and here he comes now." I looked up to see a tall bald black man coming towards us. When he was within ear shot, Mark greeted him. "Benny," he said stiffly.

"Mark," the man returned in the same manor, "And new girlfriend." He gestured to me.

"Oh no, I'm not his girlfriend. I'm Mimi's friend, and Mark's new assistant."

"Oh," his tone brightened, and a creepy smile came to his face, "In that case, hi, I'm Benny."

"Get lost Coffin," Mark stepped in front of me, "Need I remind you what happened last time you cheated on your wife with a nineteen year old? You're lucky she took you back after that fiasco."

"Lucky isn't exactly the word I would use."

"Well, leave her be. She's got the rest of us behind her to assure she won't make the same mistake Mimi did."

"Mimi never thought I was a mistake," he laughed.

"Really? Then tell me why whenever we bring it you up she says, and I quote 'that bastard was a stupid mistake and he deserves his miserable wife.'"

"Allison is not miserable."

"She's here isn't she?"

As if on cue, a woman only a little taller than myself with long bottle blonde hair tied into pigtails bounced up to us and gave Benny a hug. "Hi honey," she said in a sickening tone that made me want to gag, "And Mark… and Mark's new girlfriend."

Mark rolled his eyes. "Hi Muffy."

"Allison," she corrected him. I fought back a laugh. Mimi told me last night, while we were catching up on traditional "sleep-over" gossip, about the joke of calling Benny's wife Muffy. I couldn't help thinking this was pretty funny.

"Well, we have to get going. _We,_ unlike some people, actually have to work for a living." Before either Benny or Allison could say anything else, Mark had turned around and was pulling me down the street by my wrist. Once we were safely away from the two, he slowed down a little bit. "Sorry about that," he said finally, "I didn't want to get caught up in conversation with them. Allison can talk for hours about any given subject."

"It's okay," I assured him, "I didn't want to talk to them either. I don't even know them, and I hate them."

"Smart girl," he laughed, "Keep that instinct. They are terrible people who sold their souls to corporate America."

We walked a bit, took the subway, and walked some more before we were outside the Buzzline building. I took a deep breath, and Mark started to laugh. "Welcome to Corporate America," he joked, holding the door open for me. I rolled my eyes and walked past him into the massive, incredibly intimidating building.

**I was trying to think of a good replacement for Wanda, my young assistant who had just gone into labor last night and whose replacement was left up to me by Alexi, when I saw Mimi's door open and Jane step out. I gasped. She would be perfect, if she wanted the job. She had obviously seen me too, and she smiled.**

"**Oh, good morning," I heard her say softly.**

**Later that morning, I stood outside the office building, laughing at Jane looking a little scared. "Welcome to Corporate America," I joked, holding the door open for her. She rolled her eyes, but laughed as she walked past me into the building.**

**We went upstairs to the "executive offices" and down the hall to my office. I pointed to the desk sitting outside. "That's where you'll be working," I instructed, putting on my best "boss-like" tone. I could tell she saw right through it by the way she saluted me mockingly.**

"**Aye Aye boss," she said brightly, trying to hide her laugh. I rolled my eyes, faking annoyance.**

"**First, though, we have to go talk to Alexi. She's the executive producer and pretty much runs everything around here. She needs to know that I found a suitable replacement for Wanda, my long-term assistant."**

"**Alright then." She followed me down the hall to Alexi's office and walked in with me.**

"**Good morning, Alexi," I said in a monotone voice. The only reason she and I were on first name basis with each other (and also the reason I was able to go back after quitting the first time) was that she was determined to get me to fall in love with her. Of course, that wasn't about to happen anytime soon, but it kept me in a job.**

"**Good morning Mark," Alexi greeted me brightly, flashing what I suppose was meant to be a winning smile but ended up making her look evil. Although, maybe it was meant to look evil. It certainly seemed to scare Jane, or so it appeared by the look on her face. I shook my head. It was going to be a long few months if this was how Alexi was going to act.**


	4. Chapter 4

Alexi Darling. I'm pretty sure she hated me from the moment she saw me. The sickeningly sweet smile was immediately replaced by a look of disgust when Mark said that he wanted me as his temporary assistant. I was sure that without Mark being a stubborn ass about it, I wouldn't have gotten the job. I made a mental note to thank him for that later.

Back outside Mark's office, I put my jacket on the back of my chair and sat at my desk and pulled my hair into a high ponytail before attaching a headset to my ear. "Okay boss," I joked, using my best (and admittedly terrible) Brooklyn accent, "What's first?" He just laughed and shook his head.

"Well, first give me the papers that Alexi left on your desk," he replied, pointing to the stack that my palm was resting on.

"Oh right," I laughed, "I knew that."

"Sure you did," he said sarcastically, disappearing into his office only to come back out a minute later.

"Alright, we're going to do some on location shooting," he informed me. I nodded, assuming that I was going to stay back and file paperwork or something like that, but as he put on his coat he stared at me curiously. "Are you coming?" he asked.

"Oh, I didn't know I was actually supposed to go with," I laughed, "I thought, you know, my job was to do all of your paperwork."

"Technically it is," he laughed back, "But Wanda used to insist on coming with me everywhere, and I'm used to having my assistant with me all the time. Let's go." I jumped up… and then realized I was still attached to the phone by the headset. He laughed again and rolled his eyes.

"Are you going to hurt yourself if I bring you along?" he asked, jokingly.

"I promise I will be completely safe," I held my hands up in front of me, "Just don't give me any sharp objects."

"I'll keep that in mind."

**Okay, so when I was looking at my assignments for the day, I immediately looked for the on-location shots. That didn't mean anything about Jane and I. I just wanted to spend some time to get to know her better. It was a friendly gesture. Plus, I knew that she would go insane if she sat at that little desk all day. Was that mixing business and personal life? I don't think so, but Alexi might have had something to say of it if she had known what was going through my mind.**

**Working with Wanda, who had always insisted on coming with when we shot on location, for so long had made me forget that most assistants stayed in the confines of the stuffy office building. So naturally when Jane kept on with her writing, I had to be confused. "Are you coming?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound rude.**

"**Oh, I didn't know I was actually supposed to go with." That's when I realized that when I let Wanda come with me it was something out of the ordinary. "I thought, you know, my job was to do all your paperwork."**

"**Technically, it is," I admitted, "But Wanda used to insist on coming with me everywhere, so I'm used to having my assistant with me all the time. Let's go." She seemed like she was eager to leave, and I had to laugh when she jumped up from her desk only to be pulled back down by the chord of her headset.**

"**Are you going to hurt yourself if I bring you along?" I joked.**

"**I promise I'll be completely safe. Just don't give me any sharp objects."**

"**I'll keep that in mind."**

**The streets were busier than they were in the morning. Sarah Paige, the reporter, one of the cameramen, Jane, and I piled into the station van and drove to our location.**

**We were back to the office before noon, and at one thirty I again stood outside my office with my coat on.**

"**You want to go to lunch?" I asked Jane. She nodded and stood up, this time remembering to take off the headset first. When we were on our way to the elevator, Alexi stepped in front of us.**

"**Hiya Mark," she said, smiling sweetly and ruffling my hair. I immediately replaced it. "Are you going to lunch?" she asked.**

"**No," I said sarcastically, "We're going out on a date." I heard Jane giggle behind me and saw Alexi shoot her a nasty glare.**

"**Well, all of us **_**executives**_** have a meeting at three, so make sure you're back by then." She paused and thought before adding, "Alone."**

"**Yes, Alexi I know. I'll be there." I paused to mock her. "Alone."**

**Jane giggled again, and I turned leading her out of the building.**


	5. Chapter 5

I actually enjoyed my first day of work, but I was glad to get back to the small apartment. When Mark and I entered the loft he shared with Roger and Collins, Roger and Mimi were sitting on the sofa, and Collins was leaning up against a counter with what I could only assume was a joint in his mouth and a glass of- if I remembered correctly- his beverage of choice, Stoli, in his hand. There were also two women I didn't recognize, but from what Mark had told me, I guessed they were Maureen and Joanne.

"Hey," Roger said brightly when we came through the door, "If it isn't Alphabet City's newest power couple." Mark rolled his eyes.

"You're hilarious," he said sarcastically.

"Yeah, I really am."

"Collins!" I exclaimed, ignoring the other two and rushing towards him.

"Jane!" Collins laughed, wrapping his arms around me in a bear hug. He held me out at arms length and looked me over before observing, "You look like you could use some Stoli."

"I could always use some Stoli," I nodded, laughing.

"Wow, was working for him really that bad?" Roger joked, earning himself a nasty glare from Mark.

"Oh no," I shook my head, "It was… you know, work."

"Roger doesn't know what work is," Maureen joked, pushing Roger's arm playfully.

"Hey! That's mean."

"But very true," Mimi admitted, shrugging.

"Thanks Meems."

"No problem, Rog."

"We digress," I laughed, causing the others to look at me in disbelief. "I did go to college, not that that was where I learned definitions. That's not the point. Collins, did you not mention something about Stoli?"

"Of course!" Collins poured six glasses before adding more to his own.

"Hey!" Maureen exclaimed suddenly, "You guys wanna play a game?"

"What game?" Mark and Joanne asked worriedly.

"Truth or Dare!"

"Oh God," I giggled, sipping my beverage, "Are we fourteen again?"

"She does this all the time," Mark rolled his eyes, "I'm just glad she's not asking us to play slut."

"Come on guys!" Maureen said excitedly, "It'll be fun!"

There were murmurs of "fine" and "whatever" as we all sat in a circle on the floor of the loft.

"Okay, I'll go first," Maureen nodded, "Collins, truth or dare?"

"Dare of course!" Collins laughed, "As if there's any other choice."

"Okay," she smiled evilly, "I dare you to… go and find a pair of Mimi's underwear and model it for us!"

Collins looked as pale as me as everyone except Mimi laughed.

"I'm not sure how much _I _like this," Mimi whispered, elbowing Roger, who immediately looked just as scared. They immediately engaged in a hushed conversation while Maureen shoved Collins out of the loft, refusing to let him back in until he was in Mimi's underwear.

During the time Collins was gone, Mimi and Roger continued their conversation while Maureen had coaxed Joanne into an intense make-out session, which made things fairly uncomfortable for Mark and I. For a moment, I was relieved when Collins knocked on the door again, begging Maureen to let him back in. However, when she complied and he strutted exaggeratedly into the loft, my face went totally paper white. Mimi burst out laughing.

"What's wrong?" Mark asked.

"That's not Mimi's underwear," I shook my head, "It's mine."

It seems as though everyone thought that was hysterical. I watched in embarrassment as the rest of the group had tears streaming down their faces. "I fail to see how this is so funny for all of you," I snapped.

"Oh believe me, it's just that you're so new to the group, and this is one way to get to know you," Maureen finally managed to choke out, gesturing to Collins modeling my lacy underwear.

Color flooded my cheeks, and Collins left the room again to return a moment later fully clothed, tossing my underwear back at me. I held them at arms length and wrinkled my nose. "I'm burning these."

"Good," Mimi laughed, "Fuel for the fire the next time Benny shuts off our heat."

"Okay okay," Maureen said, pressing on, "Collins, ask someone."

"Okay, Joanne, truth or dare?"

"Umm… truth," Joanne nodded.

"Typical," Maureen rolled her eyes.

"Just ask the question, Collins."

"Hmmm… Have you ever been with a guy? Sexually, that is."

Joanne just laughed. "When I was eighteen. Once."

"Well, that was anti-climactic," Maureen pouted, "I already knew that."

Joanne just shrugged, "Okay, it's my turn. Jane, truth or dare?"

"Dare," I laughed, "Like Collins said, there's really no other option."

"Hmm….. I dare you to-"

"Wait!" Roger cut her off. He beckoned Joanne to lean towards him and whispered something in her ear. I watched as her look of concentration turned into a smile. _Great_ I thought, mentally rolling my eyes.

"Oh that's good," she said finally, "Jane, I dare you to kiss Mark. Tongues included."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mark shoot Roger a very pointed glare. "Now I really think we're fourteen again," he muttered.

"Oh go on Marky!" Maureen exclaimed. I started to get the idea that Maureen was always hyper and loud. "Who knows how long it's been since you've been kissed!"

"Thanks Mo," Mark growled, glaring at her. I smiled smugly and giggled. "Shut up." This time the growl was directed at me.

"Just do it," Maureen instructed.

My cheeks turned a light shade of pink and I was a little bit relieved to see the expression mirrored on his face. Slowly, I leaned across Collins, placing my palm on the floor. Mark mimicked my movements. After a few moments, our lips met. I ran my tongue along his bottom lip and he parted it from his top ever so slightly, barely allowing my tongue inside. _Magic _I thought, silently laughing, _Picture perfect magic._

**You know, when Collins walked back into the loft after changing into "Mimi's" lacy boyshorts, I thought that would be the funniest thing of the night. That is until I heard Mimi laughing about it and saw Jane's face, which was paler than mine.**

"**What's wrong?" I asked, concerned.**

"**That's not Mimi's underwear," she said, barely audible, "It's mine." Now that was the funniest thing of the night, and none of us were drunk yet. **

**Of course, I wanted to kill Roger when he told Joanne to dare Jane to kiss me. Part of me hoped that she would chicken out, but of course she wouldn't. I settled for shooting a death glare to my "best friend". **

"**Now I really think we're fourteen again," I muttered, shaking my head.**

"**Oh come on Marky!" Maureen exclaimed, "Who knows how long it's been since you've been kissed!" That was when it was decided. I was going to have to kill Maureen.**

"**Thanks Mo," I growled, now turning my death glare to her. I just heard the faintest giggle from behind me and turned around to see Jane, suddenly full of smiles. "Shut up."**

"**Just do it," Maureen instructed.**

**I watched her lean across Collins and followed her lead. Inching towards her until her lips met mine. Her tongue slid across my bottom lip and was almost hesitant to open my mouth, so I settled for opening it ever so slightly. It was just enough for her tongue to slip inside. I brought my hand up and ran it through her hair. You know the moment in a movie where the main characters share one kiss that only lasts for a moment, but feels like it goes on for an eternity? Well, that was it.**

**Maureen, Roger, and Joanne were forgiven in that moment.**

(A/N- Soooo sorry this one took so long. I hit a bit of a creative slump on this story. I hope it was worth the wait.)


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